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by EvanKelly 4650 days ago
It's very presumptuous of you to assume that "hipsters" don't actually enjoy the things they do.
2 comments

If they actually enjoy what they're doing, and not the feeling of being 'counterculture', then they're not being "hipsters". It's pretty simple.
What's wrong with enjoying the feeling of being counterculture?

This whole anti-hipster sentiment is so bizarre to me. It's all about policing other peoples' fashion/taste/activities without reason. The idea that hipsters are somehow not genuine doesn't make any sense. What is there to be genuine to?

If you use an old film camera because you like the photos it takes and are fascinated by how it operates, more power to you.

If you use an old film camera because you think it looks cool around your neck, more power to you.

If you use an old film camera because you like the fact that you're one of the only people using one, more power to you.

>What's wrong with enjoying the feeling of being counterculture?

In terms of a stereotypical hipster, it's because it's being smug that you're not following the crowd. But you get there by paying a lot of attention to what the crowd likes, and using that as your primary decision maker. AKA you're following the crowd.

It's okay to like being unique, but find a niche though your own preferences, not though hypocritical reasoning.

I suppose there is a kind of self-contradiction is trying to be "fashionably unfashionable" which seems ripe for mockery.

But, in practice, the mockery boils down to an exercise in More Authentic Than Thou based on guesses from superficial details. Isn't making judgements about authenticity based on a few superficial details an even more loathsome exercise in hypocrisy?

I do like EvanKelly's point here: "What is there to be genuine to."?

What the heck is someone supposed to wear that is neither an overt exercise in conformity or a contrived exercise in non-conformity? What would in between or opting out of the pretense look like?

In fact, it might look a lot like Mr. Hermelin, whose clothes look functional and cheap, without any visible labels, without any apparent in-factory distressing of the fabric.

Me too, I actually find hipster culture, to the extent it is indeed a thing, to bring a certain sense of fun to my little world. As opposed to everyone just giving up and buying what they see on TV, watching football, Facebook etc.
I like this response. I'm not sure that I'm mentally mature enough to actually sustain it, but I like it the best. Let people do whatever they like and don't bother judging or grouping them too much.

Edit: fixed broken english.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I don't think it is an expression of individuality, either. Going against the grain is still buying into the grain. Individuality is more about being orthogonal.
It undermines genuine counterculture movements. When you have a lot of people who will act like they support a certain idea until questioned about it, and then duck away saying they were just being ironic, the result is that no-one takes anyone seriously. It's bad for the same reasons as bumper stickers, or protest groups who do nothing but stupid stunts.
Who is worried about undermining counterculture movements? Don't wear that old camera, b/c it makes xyz not appear legitimate? Wha?
Who supports social movements out of irony? I don't understand this.
Do you think they're doing it (playing Go, listening to vinyl, whatever) despite not enjoying it? That seems a weird, self-sacrificing thing to do.
They drink PBR, I think that says enough about self-sacrificing if one has any tastebuds left.
PBR is very cheap, and actually very tolerable when you are in the market for cheap American lagers. Before it got a reputation for being "hipster" it was a popular "blue collar" beer, and for good reason.

I'd call it better than Budweiser, worse than Coors. Certainly better than the other heavyweight in 'cheap booze that young people drink': Natural Light. For some reason drinking natty light is not seen to be as damming an indicator on a persons character though... that is reserved for PBR.

Good points. I think they're all pretty awful (relatively speaking, if one is doing more than getting plastered), but somehow only the one gets the negative connotation. Though, I will admit my early college years I did drink them all at some point regrettably, even at least one PBR that I know of offhand.
Call me strange, but there are times when I am honestly happy to get a Bud Light. It's cheap, very light, and still gives me a "You're drinking a beer" feeling. It's relaxing.

I definitely prefer Sierra Nevada, Stone IPA, and Harpoon to Bud Light 95% of the time, but there are days when it's 115 degrees out and my mind says "I want beer-flavored water."

The worst beer, by far, is heavy beer that tastes like garbage. I can drink Natty Light and be happy; I cannot drink a heavy beer that tastes bad.

Outside of America I can assure that bud and miller both have very negative connotations ;)
It's not like vinyl is a huge sacrifice in quality. I think you underestimate the value of feeling special/cool, especially in somebody 15-25.
Haha whoah whoah whoah since when is playing Go hipster and something that 'they' do? This whole us vs. them turn in the conversation is making me suddenly uncomfortable.
No true Scotsman would do something he didn't actually enjoy.
Of course they don't like it, if they actually liked what they were doing it wouldn't be ironic!